Message From The Parish Priest

The Holy Season of Advent is with us once again in this year of our Redemption 2009. In this season we look forward to our Blessed Lord's Second Coming as the Lord of History - that "advent" which we still await with the virtue of Hope.

We also look to the prophets of the Old Testament who foretold the coming of the Redeemer is such great detail.

We also watch for the coming of our Saviour through the eyes and mind of our Blessed Lady who spent the first advent on earth, awaiting the delivery of her Son. It is in this season we celebrate the great feast of her Immaculate Conception. (see the note about the Procession we are holding).

Finally we long to celebrate in time his holy birth in Bethlehem and we prepare for the coming of the crib with our adoration of the Divine Infant on Christmas Night.

It is a penitential season hence the purple Mass Vestments - we fast and pray more in order to sharpen our senses so that we are overflowing with joy when 25th December arrives.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Cardinal Pell of Sydney has written a warning against certain attempts in Australia to set up the Christian faith as a kind of enemy of freedom. I see this danger here with various Acts of Parliament and the Education Bill on Sex education and now Harriet Harman's "Equality Bill". We could very soon be in the position where we break the Law of teaching the Catholic and the Christian Faith. At Advent time when the voice of John the Baptist calls the world to repentance I am warning you that this danger that I point out is real. Be aware and get real and write to you MP and tell him how troubled you are. They will never get the Muslims to teach this ideology so it will be interesting o se their reaction.

Happy Advent.

Fr Tom Connolly

CATHOLIC SINGLES This organisation of self help is to be recommended to you. It helps RC's to meet socially and provides an excellent way of meeting up with social events and a confidential intro service. See the poster in the porch.

THE ADVENT WREATH the progressive lighting of the four candles Sunday after a Sunday is a recollection of the various stages of the history of our salvation prior to Christ's Coming and a symbol of the prophetic light gradually illuminating the long night prior to the rising of the Son of Justice. It is fitting for a young one to light it.

THE READER'S ROTA The new one is ready for you to pick up and take away so that you know what you are on. All readers please note we are on Year C not A as I said by error last week.

Bidding Prayers

BIDDING PRAYERS 1st OF ADVENT C

Priest: Praying at all times for the strength to survive, we turn to Christ the author of life for that strength and help in our needs and the needs of our world.

Reader: We commend to our Lord Jesus Christ - the lives of all men and women who inhabit the face of the earth at this moment - that they may find hope in the message of Advent that the Saviour of mankind is coming to save the whole world. Lord hear us.

For all those who have lost homes and livelihoods and communications in the Cumbrian flooding that they will be helped to get their lives back together again in time for the Christmas celebration. Lord hear us.

That we as a Christian community will have the strength to lift our heads high in the face of all the set backs and attacks on the Universal Church, and stand before the Son of Man with confidence and integrity. Lord hear us.

We ask for the resolution of the terrible scandal of the abusing clergy in Ireland that the damage done to the Body of Christ and his dear little ones will be overcome by God's abundant grace. Lord hear us.

As Advent begins we seek God's grace to spend this holy time fruitfully in preparing our souls for his Birth. Lord hear us.